The Best of the Best State Parks

This is a feature that I am very excited to display on my web site. I have written three editions of a book entitled Parks Directory of the United States, which has included descriptive information on national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and more than 3,300 state parks, historic sites, and natural areas. In compiling information for the book, I have come to realize that there are a number of state parks that rival the more famous national parks in terms of beauty, cultural and historical significance, and natural resources, though many of these parks are not well known to the general public.

I always had in the back of my mind the idea of compiling a list of the "best" state parks in the United States. Of course, I always knew that such a list would be extremely subjective, since the best parks to a bird-watcher wouldn't be the best parks to a cross-country skier or an off-road biker. Nevertheless, I went forward with my idea and contacted the directors of each of the 50 state park systems and posed the following question:

If you were trying to showcase your state park system, what would be your recommendation to visitors for 2-3 must see" parks and why?

In their replies, many of the directors pointed out how difficult the task had been to select only 2-3 state parks for this project when they had dozens or even hundreds to choose from. Some stretched the rules a little bit and listed 4-5 parks. (I decided to leave these extra selections in.) In many cases, the selections include accompanying text information, which can be viewed by clicking on the "what they said" link that appears just below each state name.

Each state name is hyperlinked to the official home page for each state park system. Wherever possible, I have also provided direct links to each individual park and have included phone numbers as well.

In a feature that is certainly open to debate, here is a list of the "Best of the Best State Parks."

This is a feature that I am very excited to display on my web site. I have written three editions of a book entitled Parks Directory of the United States, which has included descriptive information on national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and more than 3,300 state parks, historic sites, and natural areas. In compiling information for the book, I have come to realize that there are a number of state parks that rival the more famous national parks in terms of beauty, cultural and historical significance, and natural resources, though many of these parks are not well known to the general public.

I always had in the back of my mind the idea of compiling a list of the "best" state parks in the United States. Of course, I always knew that such a list would be extremely subjective, since the best parks to a bird-watcher wouldn't be the best parks to a cross-country skier or an off-road biker. Nevertheless, I went forward with my idea and contacted the directors of each of the 50 state park systems and posed the following question:

If you were trying to showcase your state park system, what would be your recommendation to visitors for 2-3 must see" parks and why?

In their replies, many of the directors pointed out how difficult the task had been to select only 2-3 state parks for this project when they had dozens or even hundreds to choose from. Some stretched the rules a little bit and listed 4-5 parks. (I decided to leave these extra selections in.) In many cases, the selections include accompanying text information, which can be viewed by clicking on the "what they said" link that appears just below each state name. Each state name is hyperlinked to the official home page for each state park system. Wherever possible, I have also provided direct links to each individual park and have included phone numbers as well.

In a feature that is certainly open to debate, here is a list of the "Best of the Best State Parks." If you want to express your opinion about state parks that you feel should have been included on the list, please feel free to post a message on the National/State Parks Bulletin Board.